The Airhead and the Rat
by can-i-break-the-fourth-wall
Summary: No.6 stories that just won't leave me alone!
1. Chapter 1

'Gone'

379 words

NezuShi

character death

Shion did not feel good. His head was pounding, and he felt like he was going to puke. No matter the temperature inside(once he even went outside) he would break out in sweat, even though he was freezing cold.

Moving was the hardest. It was a daily struggle, getting up and walking to the bathroom, or even standing in the shower for five minutes. But Nezumi was a big help.

Nezumi started to cook more now. He had to make sure Shion had some kind of nourishment every day. Sometimes Rikiga and Inukashi would come over with food or a warm dog to keep Shion from shivering.

Shion always enjoyed these little visits. Nezumi would sit him up with a thin pillow behind his back, and a warm bowl of Macbeth Soup in his lap. One of Dogkeeper's dogs would lay next to him or on his legs to keep him warm. Rikiga would tell him stories of his mom, and sometimes Nezumi would either sing or dance or read poetry for Shion.

Nobody took Shion's passing well.

His mother and Nezumi fought over what to do with the body. Karan wanted to bury him inside the city. Nezumi wanted to have him cremated and his ashes spread under his favorite tree, a giant oak that he and Nezumi would climb back when Shion was healthy. In the end Nezumi won out, only because Karan had never seen him cry so hard. Deep in her eart she knew she did the right thing.

Afterwards, Nezumi would lay awake in his bed at night, tracing the sheets where Shon's scar would be. He's get up and pace around his small room in west block, looking restlessly for Shion's favorite blue cardigan, which he would drape over himself and use as a blanket on many nights. He knew he should give it to Karan, but it was the one piece of SHion Nezumi had left, and he did not want to give it up.

In the end, it was the little things Shion took with him to his death. It was these moments, when Shion would brighten up with laughter, and his face was free of pain, and his smile lighting up the room, that Nezumi would remember and mourn over.


	2. Doctor Shion (Part One)

Doctor Shion (part one)

Nezumi was sick. He had a fever for the last few days and he would frequently wake up in a cold sweat. Shion dabbed at his chest and forehead with a damp towel. Nezumi whimpered in his sleep, rolling over and grasping the sheets on the bed.

"Shi…on…" Nezumi continued to grope at the sheets. Shion grabbed at his wondering hand, running his thumb over the calloses on his hand.

"Nezumi, save your strength. I'm gonna have to go out and find you some antibiotics. You can't fight off this infection or virus or whatever this is Nezumi! I'll be back soon though, I won't take long!" Nezumi muttered out a few sentences, the word 'airhead' being heard several times. He put a glass of water within Nezumi's reach and next to it an empty trashcan and a bowl of soup. Putting on his torn and tattered coats, Shion left the comfort of the little room.

Shion was scared. He wouldn't make it if Nezumi died. He didn't want to go home, he didn't want his mother's prying questions. HE just wanted Nezumi safe and healthy again.

But what was hurting Nezumi? Was it a wound somewhere on him that Shion missed? Was it poison? It definitely wasn't a regular stomach bug, and it didn't share many symptoms with the flu. Pulling his coat tighter, Shion continued to look for answers.

Rikiga. Nezumi never liked the man, but Shion had grown fond of the drunkard. Shion turned left, following the narrow path to his building. Knocking on the door first, Shion barged into the building.

It was dusty, dust flying around his face as he breathed. Light filtered in through a few cracks on the wall, illuminating old furniture in the rooms. Spotting some creaky wood stairs in the corner, he made his way up to Rikiga's office.

The office was cold and damp, the fireplace dusted over like it hadn't been used in some time. Shion carefully treaded his was towards the desk in the middle of the room, his hands out in front of him. Touching the desk, he knocked over bottles and felt pens before they rolled to the floor. He opened up the draws and found the key to the cabinet in the corner.

In West Block…

Nezumi was doubled over in pain, his head all but inside the now puke filled trashcan. Hours ago he had started to lose his vision, purple hazes around anything that he could actually make out. The soup was spilled on the floor and the mice were chirping at the door way.

"Sh.. ut up…" he said to the mice, but they only got louder.

Shion… where are you?


	3. Shion's Birthday

"Nezumi, Nezumi…Nezz…u…Mi!" Shion bounced happily around their little room, skipping, his bare feet barely touching the cold ground.

"Yes Shion, dammit, what could you possibly want from me?" Nezumi called from the bed,

"Do you know what today is?" Nezumi would never admit it, but Shion's smile was infectious. He had to stop himself from grinning back at the face that was a few inches from his.

A few inches…

Nezumi hooked his hand behind Shion's head and brought him closer.

Nezumi felt more than saw Shion's blush as their lips met.

"Why? Did your highness the airhead forget the days of the week?" Shion shook his head and bit his lip. He looked down at his hands in his lap, his eyelashes dancing across his pale cheeks.

"It's my birthday remember? You said that on my birthday you would take the day off and spend it together." Nezumi ran his hand through his hair and rubbed it across his five o'clock shadow.

"I did? I don't remember that. Maybe we can celebrate later? I need to run by the theater today and talk to Chad. Do you mind?" Shion shook his head and got to his feet. He shuffled to the kitchen and brought out a pan and two eggs from the refrigerator. He pushed over the pre made cake batter and pulled out some meat as well.

"Well then I'll see you when you get home then. Do you want eggs before you g-ahhhhh!" Nezumi came up behind Shion and placed his cold hands on his waist, burying his face in his hair.

"You really are an airhead. Were you seriously gonna cry over today? Of course I remembered!"

Nezumi pulled away and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a little box and handed it to Shion. He blushed.

" I figured I'd give you a small memory of your times here. I hope you like it."

Shion opened the box and pulled out a small key. At the top of the was a glass orb with a leaf embedded into it. The key was painted green.

"It doesn't go anywhere, so don't get any ideas you air-" He was cut off by Shion's lips on his.

"Happy birthday, Shion."


	4. I Miss You

The night was dark, darker than usual. The common assortment of stars were not illuminating much, just the shadow of a man in an alleyway. He was walking fast past the shops of West Block, not really paying much attention to where he was going. He was clutching a knife in his right hand, his breath coming out in shirt rapid bursts. He had to get home. Turning left around a hill he spotted a staircase going down into the earth. Sighing, he pulled his cardigan closer and sprinted down the old stairs.

He had made it home! Safe and sound. He grinned at the old wooden door, and jimmied his key into the lock. The door creaked open, a cloud of dust floating out into the hallway.

He hadn't been here for quite some time, nobody had. It had been two years since the previous owner had left, leaving the man with no clue where he was going or if he was ever coming back. Coughing, the man put his sleeve over his mouth and squinted into the darkness. Reaching into the pocket of his khakis, he grabbed a match and lit the lantern closest to the door.

The room was a mess, looking like it had been searched. Books were on the floor everywhere, the few dishes were broken and scattered on the floor, and the bed was leaning on the wall.

It was hard for him but the man managed to hold back a sob. Illuminating another candle, he set to work cleaning up his once home.

Nothing had been taken, that much he could tell. He stacked the decrepit books and play back on the shelves where they belonged. He swept up the broken dishes with his hands, and smiled to himself as he realized that he managed to not cut himself.

"See," he thought to himself, "I'm not as much as an airhead as you thought!"

He fixed the bed with to moth eaten sheets he found in a small closet, and turned it back on it's feet. Pulling a copper pot out of his knapsack, he boiled some broth on top of the old wood stove, recalling the memories of how he used to cook the very same soup on the very same stove.

"A lot has changed since then. You're gone but… but I'm still here. I miss you Nezumi, and I miss Safu. But I did it. I managed to survive the wall being torn down. The reconstruction project is going great. Believe it or not Inukashi's been a real help, and so has Rikiga! And you should see little Shionn! That's what we named that baby that we found. We still haven't found her parents though…

I think you would love it, Nezumi. I built a library in the city, and we have many children from West Block who come and watch the plays on the weekends. Oh, and did I tell you that I've been reelected for city official? I was really surprised.

I like to think that if you were still here, that maybe you would be the arts teacher at one of the new schools. I would have loved that, and the students might have enjoyed learning from you, sensei!

When are you coming back Nezumi? I miss you…"

The smell of burning soup brought him out of his reverie. He served himself, pouring the stew in a wooden bowl, not noticing that his tears were falling into it.

"Nezumi…" He whispered.

"What kind of airhead leaves the door unlocked in the middle of the night?"


	5. No, Nezumi

Don't come home. Don't come back to me.

Shion left the note at the now deserted house in West Block. Picking up his jacket and his pride off the cold bed, he limped his way to the door. Blowing out the lantern by the door, he knew that he was blowing out the life he once had.

When he thought about it, he was glad he didn't have Nezumi anymore. Shion was glad that he left leaving him to fend for himself. He would happily rebuild No.6 all by himself...

Cursing his stupidity he started his pre-bed routine. He took a shower, half in a daze, wishing that it were Nezumi's hands and not his own. He slipped on his favorite pajamas, a pair of flannel pants and an old wife beater that used to belong to Nezumi, and sipped at a cup of hot chocolate. He shut the blinds of his window and locked the door. Flipping on a new addition to his room, a mouse shaped night light, he finally slipped underneath his thin blue sheets.

Sleep never came easy. He often tossed and turned for hours, his head spinning with all the possibilities of No.6's future. Thoughts of renovations and parks and rules swam his thoughts like sharks in the ocean, and they never stopped. Tonight was no exception. He was in the middle of tearing down the Moondrop when he heard a knock at the door.

"Shion?" His mother's tentative voice came through the door.

"Inukashi just came by with a message for you. She left though, saying that she didn't want to be here when you read it. Do you want me to slide it under the door?" Shion was definitely curious about the letter. Inukashi never set foot in the Main City unless it was of dire importance. He knew it was important.

But he was tired. He knew that whatever was in that letter would keep him up for days. It would just be better for him to sleep now, while he could, and read it later.

"Please mom. Thank you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Shion. " He heard her slide the paper underneath the door, and found himself relaxing back into his pillows as the scent of cherry cake drifted through his door...

Five Years Later No.6 finally held their first election. And of course, Shion was elected city official. So much had changed in the past five years, and excitement bubbled in his throat as he looked back and compared it to the future.

The sun was low and the air was brisk as he turned around and locked the big wooden doors. His shoes made a soft clicking noise as he descended the few stone steps. Even at the bottom of the stairs, Shion could still smell the musty odor of the books. It was pleasant.

His wrist watch rang and he slid his finger over the smooth surface.

"Yes mother? "

"Will you pick up some cheese on the way home? It seems we have a small rat problem and I want to try to lure them out." Shion nodded, a sudden chill along him, he shivered and pulled his cardigan closer.

"A rat problem? I haven't seen a rat I No.6 for years! Do you know if anyone else is having rodent problems? I may need to take it up with the board."

Shion heard the jingle of his mother's earrings as she shook her head.

"I asked everyone on the block and no one else has even seen a rat! What luck!"

Shion told his mother bye and pedalled faster towards the grocery store.

Grocery stores were a new thing for No.6. Before the collapse of the walls there had been shopping centers and s opting outlets, but the only markets were the ones in the West Block, the ones that everybody tried to avoid. Back then, food was just delivered to everyone's doorsteps.

Luckily, the grocery stores took off well and did much to help promote the economy and small business in No.6. Of course, it had taken roughly four years to expand outward enough for factories and more farmland so that the people could be more self sufficient. They were even starting to import and export small goods to the other districts. Linen was the number one export, and meat was the number one import. But with the positives came a slew of negatives.

Not everybody was taking on the transition so well. Some of the older officials saw them as a hindrance and argues that they allowed for too much freedom. Then there was always the ever present problem of technology: what kind of machine would be most efficient to make or harvest this product? Shion had been reaching out to the other districts for help. Although weary at first, they started helping out No.6 technologically; with their help No.6 was growing and becoming the potential it always had.

As he parked his bike in front of the store, a stray thought went through his head: is Nezumi back? That would explain the rats. It's been five years and Shion had successfully forgotten about the blue haired drama queen, and he wanted h to stay repressed. Pushing back the feeling of food coming up his throat, he went on the hunt for traps and cheese. 


	6. No, Nezumi part 2

Shion couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he could hear little feet pattering underneath his bed. He couldn't help but regret the traps he set for the supposed pests. Rising up out of his bed, he slipped on his slippers and started to edge his way downstairs.

His mother had went to bed a while ago. She hadn't been feeling well lately, so she left Shion by himself to close yo the bakery. It was dark but he knew exactly Were he had set the traps. There were three in total; the first was by the front window, in front of a crack that let in a slight breeze and chilled anyone sitting at that table. Then There was one in the kitchen, next to the supply closet, where mice were known to sneak in before, delivering messages. The last one was in Shion's room, next to his big window.

Shion felt a little better after the pain in his fingers subsided and he threw them in the trash. But he wasn't reassured. There were rats under his bed and he knew it. But somehow the thought of hurting Nezumi's rats (if they were his) was sickening. Crawling back into bed, Shion picked up an old textbook: The History of No.6. His eyes were shut as he flipped the second page.

Waking up with a book on your face is never fun. Karan laughed as her son came down the stairs with imprints of the pages on his cheeks.

"Studying? What ever for, Shion? I thought you Were finished for the semester. It's almost Gift Day, don't they let you out for that?" Shion nodded his head as he kissed his mother on the cheek.

"Yeah, we're out at the end of the week. I just couldn't sleep last night." He hesitated.

"Mom, do you remember... Nezumi?" Karan's face visibly paled, and Shion could see his mother's hand start to shake. She nodded her head, her hand coming up to her forehead to brush away a piece of hair. She left flour behind.

"Yeah, I remember him. I never met him, but you made him seem like a good guy until...

"Anyway, why do you ask? Do you- do you think he's back?" Shion found the floor tiles to be very interesting. His mother started muttering under her breath.

"I will not let him near... but Shion... depressed... what happened to the rat traps?"

"I don't mom, but if he is..." a tear slid down Shion's cheek.

"If he is I hope he stays the hell away from me!" Shion's yell surprised Karan. She watched as her son ran upstairs with a sad look on her face. She turned and looked out the bakery's windows.

"Nezumi..."

Meanwhile...

What the hell did that airhead mean by 'don't come back to me?' He made a promise to, didn't he? Did...Shion change his mind? The blue haired man paced back and forth in his old place of residence, dust kicking up around him, causing him to stood and wheeze every once in awhile.

He heard a chattering noise outside his door and was surprised to see three little rats squeeze in between the cracks of the floor and the door. They raced you to Nezumi and up his arm to whisper in his ear. He turned pale at what the rats Were telling him. On the verge of tears, he sunk to the floor.

"Am I... am I too late?" He buried his head into his hands, his mind flipping back to the promise he had made his white haired friend. He promised to come back, and he did. Was he really too late? Could Shion really have moved on without him?

His mice stood on the old couch and watched their master pace back and forth, nervously muttering to himself. They looked at each other with knowing eyes and hopped down off the couch, stopping at the line Nezumi was pacing. They started chattering.

"I know, I know I left five years ago! I lost track of time, okay? Yeah, I probably should have responsed to Shion's notes, but he deserved to live a life without me. I didn't want to drag him down. Was he really that upset?" The rats nodded in unison. Sighing, Nezumi ran his hand through his hair. He sat on his old bed and frowned when it creaked out a complaint.

"I have to see him. I need to work this out."


	7. No, Nezumi part 3

**Nezumi **

**Nezumi laid down on the old, dusty bed. He slipped his shoes off and watched as the fell to the floor. Lighting the lamp on his bedside table, it threw shadows across his old room. His bookshelves were still the same way he left them. Shion hadn't taken any of his books. Not even Romeo and Juliet. **

**He shook his head and wiped his hair out of his face. His hair was getting too long. Shion would have made a fuss about it if he were here. At that thought his chest started to hurt. If Shion was here...**

**Looking back, Nezumi realized he had no real reason to leave. Him and Shion were doing great on their own, and Shion had successfully brought the wall down. Shion was alive, but looking a little worse for wear. Why did Nezumi leave? **

**He knew why. Because he was a coward. He liked, possibly even loved, Shion in his own special way. Shion was innocent, kind, air-headed and stubborn. He was opposite of Nezumi, and somehow his white haired friend had managed to trust everyone upon first contact. How he was still alive was way behind him.**

**Nezumi was scared of how close he had become to Shion. Creating ties with someone, with anyone, would lead to an early death; he knew that from experience. **

**He was also afraid that he would hurt the younger male. He was sensitive, Nezumi knew that, and by leaving he thought he was sparing the others feeling. Oh, how wrong he'd been. He hurt Shion bad, he knew it, and there was only one way to fix it. Head to see Shion.**

**Jumping back out of bed he reached into his old knapsack and pulled out an old pencil and a scrap of paper. Scratching out a note on the paper he shuddered. The room was much colder without Shion's warmth.**

**'Baka. Meet me at the old theater. I'm sorry-N ' **

**Nezumi erased the last part and folded it into a capsule on the rat's neck. He didn't have to tell them where to take it. They already knew.**

**Now all he had to do was wait. And he hated waiting...**

**Shion **

**He was an idiot. He had probably left his mother worried about him. But oddly enough, he was not in the mood to care.**

**Shion had managed to remain upbeat the past few years, much to everyone's chagrin. He always stayed involve with both parts of the new No.6, both west block and the inner city. Of course, now they were called the outer city and the inner city. Shion was trying to get the bored to change them to something less...discriminatory,but the board insisted they had better things to take care of.**

**Shion laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking of the council . Anything to get his mind off of Ne- the pest plaguing his thoughts. He made a mental note of things to take care of work the next day. He had to organize his filing systems, approve the plans on a new elementary school, and go over the security plans at the airport. Then, he had to go to the outer city and help make records for all the citizens of what used to be West Block. Years eater, and they still hadn't had an accurate census of everyone. **

**In the back of his mind, Shion wondered if he would be the on to take record of Nezumi. He slapped his head. Of course he would! He was one of the few people who had actually volunteered to help take records! Of course if the council had more positions (Shion made note to bring it up in the next meeting) he would have a smaller chance of having to see his ex-friend. **

**There was a knock on his door. A plate of food slid in through the slot on his door. Shion laughed at the irony.**

**Here he was, a grown man in charge of an entire city, and his mother still cooked for him and brought his food in on his favorite blue plate.**

**Maybe that was the problem, Shion mused. He needed to be independent. He had to stop relying on everyone else; he needed to be by himself. Only then would he be out of Nezumi's shadow. It was a rough theory, but it was worth a shot.**


	8. No, Nezumi part 4

Shion

A few days later...

Shion heard the pattering of feet again as he got back into the bed. Pulling the covers off of him, he got out of bed and stretched his back. He heard little popping noises as he reached towards the ceiling of his room. The mice were back. And he knew exactly what they wanted.

He bent over the bed, and felt underneath it with his bare hands. As he pulled his hand back from underneath the bed he felt three little pieces of fur climbing up his fingers and his arm.

"Moonlit? Cravat? Hamlet? What are you guys doing here? I haven't seen you guys in years! That must mean that you-know-who is back." Rubbing the mice, he got up from his knees and set the mice on the edge of his desk. The first little mouse, Hamlet, held a capsule around his neck. Shion knew what it was.

And he refused to take it.

"No! I promised myself I would never talk to him again! If you guys just came to deliver the letter, you can take it write back to him and tell him I don't want to talk to him. Tell him that he was out of my life as soon as he left. Tell him..."

Shion sighed, and ran his hand through his white hair. He did not know how to deal with this. He did not know how to handle the emotion that was slowly building up from his stomach and into his throat. Should he tell his mother? Should he just ignore him? The thought of actually meeting up with the old friend briefly crossed his mind. He could only imagine how awkward it would be, and how he doubted that his blue hair friend would even apologize. He would probably just call him an airhead like usual, and then say something demeaning about his intelligence. He doubted that Nezumi had changed.

Reluctantly, he untied the capsule from Hamlet's neck. With shaking hands he opened up the pill, and straightened out the small piece of paper inside of it. He read the note to himself.

Nezumi really was back. And he wanted to meet him in the old West Block theater. Should he go? He decided to measure the pros and cons.

Well, if he went he would be able to see the young man once again. But knowing Shion, he would cry and then the older man would make fun of him. And he didn't want to go through that... again. Shion could also see himself running up to Nezumi and jumping into his arms. Just thinking about it embarrassed him!

In the other hand, he would be breaking a promise to himself. A promise that he made years ago, that he would have nothing to do with the rat ever again. And also the promise he made to his mother. She knew how heartbroken Shion was after he left. And she made him promise that he wouldn't go in search for him. But, technically he didn't go out to find him... Nezumi found him instead.

Shion got out of bed and turned on the overhead light. He pulled out a few more boxes, and he began to pack up the rest of his stuff. Since he was awake now, he figured he might as well do something productive. He doubted he would go back to sleep tonight.

Walking over to his desk, he picked up the paper with the new apartment circled in red. It was a decent apartment, 2 bedrooms with a small kitchen and a small living area. It was relatively cheap, and with his new position on the council, he would easily be able to pay his rent and have enough money left for food and other necessities. It was also closer to the middle of the inner city, so he had a smaller commute to work, which meant he could even sleep in a few minutes later.

The mice still sat on his desk, and watched him as he worked. He paced back and forth, back and forth, carrying heavy boxes filled with books to the door. Glancing over at the clock, he noticed how late it was. it was 2:30 in the morning, and he had had no sleep. He had to be at work in three and a half hours! He was going to have a long day tomorrow.

Meanwhile...

Nezumi

The mice came back a few days later. For the past 3 days Nezumi had been walking over to the old theater, or at least where it used to be, and waited for around 2 hours for Shion to show up. But he never did. So naturally, he was not surprised when the mice came back with the report.

"What? Why won't he meet me? I guess... " he stomped his foot.

"I guess I'll go to him then."

It was a restless night. All his nights had been restless without Shion. But he was so close now, so close yet he wasn't there. The nightmare seemed to be worse that night.

It started out like it normally did; Shion would be combing his hair, his brown hair,in the mirror in their too small bathroom. Nezumi would come up behind him and place his hands on Shion's hips. Taking the crude brush from his hands, Nezumi would start to brush Shion's hair.

"You must be used to this," he'd tease, "somebody else doing your work for you." Shion would turn red and stick his tongue out in the mirror. Nezumi would grab it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Eww Nethumi! Thath groth! " Shion always tried to push the older man off of him. Nezumi would laugh and brush his hands on his pants.

"You're hair is done your majesty. Now, would you like to join us at the dining table? " he ducked out of the bathroom.

While Nezumi was setting the table, the screams would start. The bathroom door would slam shut, and Shion's screams would reach a new,higher pitch. Nezumi dropped the bowls and the soup and would run to the bathroom, kicking it and hitting it with his shoulder, trying to knock it down. It never worked.

Nezumi could hear scratch marks from the other side other door, and would occasionally see a finger or two come out from underneath the door.

Eventually the banging would stop. Nezumi would be in tears by then, and Shion would be reduced to sad gagging noises. Blood leaked like a puddle from under the door.

Finally, the door would open. Usually, Nezumi never saw this part, but that night he did. Shion was on the floor, skin and hair white as winter, but his scar...

His red scar would be throbbing, ripping his skin apart, snake-like in it's movements. I wriggled underneath it's skin, the ripping noises seeming to motivate the snake as it ate away at Shion.

Nezumi jolted out of bed. He wasn't one to cry usually, but he found that he couldn't stop. The tears streamed down his face axis the mice shirked loudly in the background.

"Oh, Shion. Shion!" He rocked himself back and forth on the bed.

The mice lost count of how many minutes he stayed like that, curled up in a ball on his bed. After what seemed like hours Nezumi passed back into slightly less restless sleep.

"Shion..."

**Okay guys! Look, an update within five days! I deserve a prize like maybe... reviews? Tell me how you guys feel about the story, where you want it to go, how much of an awful writer I am etc... **

**Shion: And Taylor-chan does not own No.6!**


	9. No, Nezumi part 5

Nezumi

To say that it was cold outside would be an understatement. Frost had taken a liking to everything in sight; little white powdery flakes covered everything from his door handle to the decrepit stairs in front of his home. The moon was out but not visible, hiding behind the hazy clouds up in the sky.

He pulled his scarf tighter around his neck and wrapped it around his mouth and ears. This did nothing to keep him warm, but Nezumi was numb anyway. A little cold never hurt anybody.

He blew out the lamps in his room before leaving it, shutting the door behind him as he left. He was too nervous to eat breakfast, but somehow had the stomach to chew his too long hair as he started the trek to No.6. Nezumi had no idea what time it was, but the sun wasn't out. He hoped that it would be by the time he reached his destination.

Hands deep in his pockets, he was even deeper in thought. Scenarios of how the day could play out looped in his head like a record, and nothing he thought of could make the outcome for them any better. He was refusing to acknowledge the truth; that it had been quite a while since he last had seen Shion, and that, telling by his lack of presence at the theater, he probably did not want to see him.

But it was too much to risk. What if Shion secretly did want to see him? The possibility of that was slim, but the fact that there even was a possibility was enough for Nezumi. He sped up.

He never expected to see what he saw as he walked to No.6. A lot of the area had been torn down and rebuilt from scratch. Of course, they hadn't made it all the way to his old home, but the amount of progress made was astounding. He could already tell, just by looking at the buildings, that they were way more complex than anything West Block had seen. Could Shion be behind all of this? It was almost too good to be true.

The old areas had been rebuilt. The new neighborhoods were clean and pristine. Instead of run down huts, there were nice apartments, at least two or three stories high. There were a few neighborhood houses, that looked like they were out of some old history book. They had very sleek designs and looked very modern, but Nezumi could tell that Shion had a hand in the design of the building. They were brick and small but each one look to have been able to hold at least 4 people. He could see smoke coming from chimneys in the majority of them. There were lights on in some of the apartments. He wondered in the back of his mind if anybody he knew was living in the apartment. Inukashi, Rikiga, Karan the little girl Shion used to read to...

It was in these thoughts that he realized how much he had missed. 5 years didn't seem like very much time at first, but as he looked at all the renovations done to his old community, he realized what had really happened in those five years. Shion had left without him and matured a great amount. Shion didn't need him anymore.

It was this thought that stopped him in his tracks. He didn't need him anymore. What was the point in going to somebody who didn't need you? He wondered if that's how his white-haired friend had thought the whole time. He always complained about being useless around the house and how he had nothing to contribute to. But Nezumi would always just brush it off. He'd say something like, 'oh you're just an airhead. You wouldn't know how to do this.' He remembered calling him 'his majesty', and making fun of the way he seemed to know little about surviving, and taking care of himself. But maybe Shion knew more than he gave him credit for.

He wasn't ready for this.

"Hey mister! Would you like to come in and warm up? It's kind of cold outside."

Snapped out of his thoughts he followed the voice that was beckoning to him. He walked a few steps to his right and came upon a cafe. A banner above the cafe read 'Cafe Select' , and as he walked in the doors the smell of coffee drifted out towards him. He sat in a booth near the door. As soon as he sat down in the comfortable leather seats, a waiter came up to his booth.

"Nezumi? I don't know if you remember me or not but, your friend used to read to me and my brother when we were younger. Its me! Karan!"

Nezumi looked up at the waiter and noticed her short brown hair and light green eyes. She couldn't have been anymore than 12 or 13, but he knew she had done a lot of growing up. Even the air around her was more mature.

"Yeah, I remember you. It has been a long time, but it's nice to see an old face. Tell me, how are you? How's the rest of West Block? What have I missed since I've been gone?" Nezumi needed answers before he was able to confront Shion. Karan smooth down her burgundy skirt and sat down across to him. He took this time to look around the cafe.

The walls were painted a nice light brown color that went well with the landscape paintings on the wall. The booths were evenly spread out, no more than six or seven in the entire cafe, wooden tables with four wooden chairs around each one. It wasn't full in the cafe, but there were a few families there, and about 3 kids who were sitting around a fire place in the corner. As as soon as you walk in, you walked straight into the ordering bar, upon which set a cash register and a jar labeled 'tips'. There was a small menu above the register, offering a special on hot chocolate and hot teas and hot soups. Nezumi figured Shion would love a place like this. Karan started talking.

"Well, after Shion took the wall down...

Shion

He grunted in frustration. This was the third time today he had been cut by a piece of paper, and the first time he had stapled his tie onto a stack of papers. His mind just wasn't in the game today. His stomach was twisting around and around, like it had been all week. He knew something was going to happen today, he just didn't know what.

As he walked back to his desk he reminisced over everything he had accomplished. He rebuilt West Block from scratch, and he found a way to bring the people together again. He remembered when he first went to West Block and tried to reconstruct the community. A lot of them were reluctant to accept his help, but in the end it all worked out for the better. He introduced businesses, better homes, running water and electricity to many parts of West Block. It took him 3 years to finish building the six or seven two story apartment buildings, and approximately two years to build over 50 houses for the families in need. He just recently finished building the first Elementary School in West Block, and he was planning on starting the building of an orphanage in a few months. All in all he had high goals for the rebuilding of West block. He had high aspirations for what was now called 'the outer city'.

Sitting back down under the desk, he picked up his phone and called his secretary.

"Ryan? Did you make copies of the old files like I asked you to? Ok you did? Will you bring them up to me when you have the time? Thank you."

A major part of his job was entering the secrets of the old No.6, which included the searching of the Moondrop, and the looking over of thousands and thousands of old files. Unfortunately, a lot of the old files have been written in even older English, but thanks to Nezumi, he was able to decipher some of the harder texts.

Nezumi... thinking about him made his heart hurt. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to see him again. Head in his hands, he gazed out the window. Where are you? Was I right to assume you wouldn't come see me? Was I right to assume that you really don't miss me? Won't you come and save me?

Shion was really starting to think about breaking his promises. He really needed to see him. And he needed to see him soon.

That night he went back to the bakery and stayed with Karan. His new apartment seemed colder without his mom, and he laughed at how ridiculous he sounded. Something was telling him in the back of his mind, that he needed to be in his old room tonight, that something would happen, a miracle, and he did not want to miss it. And he was right.

The shutters in his room started to shake. He was confused at first. Did the forecast predict wind or a thunderstorm? He was pretty sure that it was only supposed to snow today. So then what was that at his windows? Creeping along the walls of his old room, he slipped his cold feet into a pair of pale blue slippers. Tonight Shion had the pleasure of having Cravat as his company. Cravat scuttled up Shion's fingers and sat on his shoulders as he inched his way closer to the shaking windows. Unlocking them, Shion peeked out into the darkness.

"Who the hell opens up their windows in the middle of the night?"

**So...they met! Kinda:/**

**I've actually had this written three says ago. I just didn't want to upload it sooner.**

**But...I have the next chapter written, so expect that by Thursday. I see maybe a maximum of three more parts after this.**


	10. No, Nezumi part 6

Shion

Time seemed to stand still. Neither one knew what to say to the other. A quiet tension hung about in the air around them. Shion made the first move.

"H-hey Nezumi." Shion's cheeks turned as red as his scar. He found his slippers oddly interesting in that moment. As he looked down he realized he was under dressed for this occasion.

"Oh!" He hurried to cover himself. In his defense it was hot in the room, so he decided to just wear his boxers. He heard Nezumi cough. He looked up and his eyes met with silver ones.

"Please, don't cover up on my account! I must say though, your majesty, boxers are a huge upgrade from the tighty-whiteys you used to wear. Tell me, do you feel like an adult now?"

Shion narrowed his eyes. He felt his hand twitch. He didn't fully comprehend what had happened until he felt his hand throb. The pain egged him on even more.

"Cut the bull crap Nezumi. Stop acting like an immature teenager. It's been five years; I thought that maybe you would've grown up in that time. But nope! Still cynical. Now tell me why you're here before I do it again!" Shion wasn't used to being... angry. But that's all he felt as his palm connected with the side of Nezumi's face.

He was shocked at his behavior, but he composed himself within a few seconds.

"Why are you here Nezumi?" Shion was breathing hard. He didn't notice his bedroom door creaking open just an inch. He watched as Nezumi strolled to his bed and sat down towards the edge. Nezumi sat with his head in his hands, seeming to wait for Shion to calm down. Slowly, he lifted his head and made eye contact with Shion again.

"Shion... it's been five years. You really have grown up a lot haven't you? Karan told me that you had matured, but I couldn't see it. Haha!" Nezumi chuckled. His eyes clouded over as he looked at Shion.

"I never thought that you would ever be able to hit someone. And with such force! Oh, what a day indeed! " Nezumi dramatized.

"You broke your promise to me Shion." His voice foreboding.

It broke towards the end of his sentence. His voice was wavering, and he was shaking physically; only then did Shion get a good look at him.

His hair was long, too long, curling at the base of his neck. His eyes were still the deep silver he used to know, but they were surrounded by bags and little tiny wrinkles that aged Nezumi a few years. His lips were chapped, and Shion noticed a cut around his nose. Overall, he looked...tired.

"Shion, come here." Shion shook his head. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, Nezumi. You still haven't told me what you're doing here."

"I'm here to see you of course."

"But why? Why now Nezumi? I needed you years ago, I don't need you now." Nezumi flinched as if he had been hit, again. The concept of Shion not needing him was painful, like stepping on hot nails. He got up to his feet slowly.

Nezumi

Shion... didn't want him. Shion didn't want him. Shion didn't need him.

The thought kept circling and circling around in his head. He was too late, and now Shion didn't need him.

"Shion, please! Just, let me explain why-"

"Why it took you so long to come back? Please, do tell." The sarcasm in his voice hurt. Shion really had matured in the past five years, and even his comebacks were witty and sharp and quick.

"I was wondering around. Sleeping outside and skipping through towns. I visited No. 4 and No.5 and found a part time job at a library in No.2. There was always something for me to do, always somewhere for me to go.

"After my first year though, I noticed something was wrong. I... I was lonely. Sure, I had Cravat and Hamlet and Moonlit, but you weren't there. Of course, I didn't realize what was missing until the mice started talking about you. I had half a mind to send one back to you with a note, just to tell you I was okay.

"But I couldn't. I was selfish. I didn't want to talk to you unless you were really there. I figured that it wasn't worth it, wasting my time trying to tell your majesty why I had left. And plus, I didn't want to open a route of communcation between us. I didn't want to talk to you."

Nezumi knew how out of character he sounded, but he had to explain to Shion. He had to show him why...

"Nezumi, why did you leave in the first place?" While Nezumi was talking, Shion had walked over to the bed and sat next to him, Indian style on the bed. He could feel the younger man's heat pouring off of him in waves.

"If I said I knew why, Shion, I'd be lying."

"Oh." It was quiet in the room. The three mice fell asleep on one of Shion's slippers, long deserted by the shutters. Nezumi felt a weight upon his shoulders, and soon after, light snoring reaches his ears.

Shion was asleep on his shoulder.

Smiling, Nezumi laid back in the bed. He wrapped Shion in his blanket, and peeled of his own shoes, scarf, and jacket with one hand. Shion curled up into his side, his face burrowing in his neck. Nezumi's neck tickled with every exhale of Shion's breath.

Sighing to himself, he drifted off into the best sleep he'd had in five years.

Shion

"You're still a fitful sleeper."

Nezumi was sitting at a chair in Shion's bathroom. Shion pointed at the newly acquired bruise on his thigh. He was lifting up the leg of his boxers. Nezumi scoffed.

"Put your boxers back down airhead! You shouldn't be comfortable pulling your boxers up around me!" Shion laughed and pushed Nezumi's head back into the sink. He felt him tense up beneath his hands.

"Calm down Rat! It's just a little water and soap! You'll be looking like yourself in no time!" Nezumi huffed beneath him.

"And how do I know I can trust you?"

"Well, I've been cutting my own hair for the past 3 years. Look at it. I promise you, you'll look fine. Now sit back, and relax."

Shion started running the water from the sink. He lathered his friend's hair with the lemon shampoo he had next to him. He gently ran his fingers through the dark, dark blue hair of Nezumi. Nezumi twitched underneath him, and let out a satisfactory sigh. Shion hummed a tuneless tune.

"My my Nezumi! Your hair is dirty! How long has it been since you washed it?"

"That's none of your business. How long are you going to stand there and just shampoo? Shouldn't you be conditioning by now?"

Shion shook his head where he could see him.

"No, I need to rinse this out first. It might be a few minutes before I start to condition. I want to make sure your hair is as clean as it can get! And that might include me shampooing and a few times. So, don't complain. Unless you want to do it for yourself?"

Nezumi shook his head. He let out a mock grunt of frustration.

"Just hurry up and finish. You haven't even begin to cut it yet. What the hell have I gotten myself into? "

It had been a few days since the confrontation. Shion let him stay over at his new apartment. It was big enough that each one of them had their own room, but they shared a bathroom; Nezumi had a way of ending up in Shion's bed every night.

Shion introduced him to his mother. At first she was shocked, and highly upset that the man who hurt his son was back. But after a few minutes of talking and eating and apologizing, she started to see why her son was so into him. He was charming in his own way. He wasn't afraid to tell you that too.

Living with Nezumi wasn't bad. Shion had fun being the provider for the both of them, being as how Nezumi didn't have a job yet. A lingering of unspoken tension still hung in the air, but he was trying to let it go. He was trying to give him a second chance.

"-ion. Shion! Snap out of it! Are you back now?" In the process of zoning out, he had spilled water all over his shirt. He laughed it off.

"Sorry! I was just thinking about how different it is living with you now as it was 5 years ago. I get to be the provider this time! And you still don't have a job. So who's mooching now?" He smirked and watched Nezumi narrow his eyes.

"I'm not looking! You offered to let me live with you! You can't take it back now! And plus, I've been looking for a job, but this overdeveloped city has made it almost impossible for me to get a job at a decent place. All the jobs are taken by the other citizens. What am I supposed to do? The theater isn't done until next month, so I still have awhile to go before I start there. What more do you want from me?"

Shion shook his head and continued to wash his hair.

It was true, Shion had proposed a theatre be built too. It went through the board and it was due to be finished by next month. Nezumi dubbed it as his favorite project of the new No. 6. Shion managed to get him a job there. Now they just had to wait.

Waiting. Shion hated waiting. He was a man of action, and this Nezumi knew more than anyone. Shion had waited five years for Nezumi, and sometimes he still wasn't sure whether or not he fully forgave him.

If anyone had told him that he was coming back, he would not have believed them. If anyone had told him that he would be washing and cutting Nezumi's overgrown locks, he would have called them crazy and referred them to a mental health clinic.

Yet, here they were.

For some reason, Shion did forgive him. It was never in his heart to hold a grudge against him...forgiving Nezumi had been easy...

Shion woke up warmer than usual. He thought he was sick at first, because surely his temperature regulated room would have notice the sudden ascension of the temperature, but it hadn't, and Shion was sweaty.

The next thing he had noticed was the heaviness on his chest, and how he couldn't move his legs. He heard a chirping on his left. He opened his eyes and watched as three mice climbed over to him. They ran over to his head and chirped in his ear, and then ran towards his chest. Then he saw the reason for his state.

Nezumi had fallen asleep on him. He was lying almost spread eagle on Shion, his head to the right of his as their chests met in the middle; but Nezumi had his legs pinned. He tried to push the heavy male off of him.

"Stop moving airhead! I'm trying to get my beauty rest."

"Nezumi you're crushing me!" With on final heave, he pushed Nezumi on to the floor. As Shion sat up, he noticed how sore he was.

"You're still a fitful sleeper."

Nezumi glared at him from under his lashes. Shion blushed.

"You know, you didn't have to push me off the bed like that. Don't you think I deserve an apology?" Nezumi was stalking towards Shion, a strange glint in his eye.

Shion backed up towards the bed.

"I'm sorry Nezumi, were just so heavy and-" Nezumi pounced.

He pushed him back onto the bed in a position to where Shion was under him. He had his legs pinned underneath his ankles, and held both of his slim wrists in one of his hands. His fingers danced around Shion's sides.

"Ne-zu-mi! Stop-it! I'm too-old to be-tickled!" He could barely breathe as he was laughing so hard. Neither male had noticed Karan in the door way. Laughing, they both sat up on the bed.

"So are you back now? For good?" Both heads whipped around to the door. Karan was folding her hands over and over as she looked down at the floor.

'So that's where Shion got his nervous habits from' Nezumi thought. With the grace of a flowing river, he walked over and grabbed her hands in his. He waited until she was looking up at him.

"You have my word that I'll never leave Shion again." Both mother and son's cheeks began to glow. Karan gave a nervous giggle and ran one of her hands through her hair. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation she nodded at her son over his shoulder, and left the room.

"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes."

"Shion! Stop daydreaming and finish my hair!"

Is it long enough? Does it feel rushed? I really value my readers opinion, so please, please tell me what I'm doing right or wrong!

Also, I like where this has ended. Do you guys want an epilogue? I won't write one unless y'all want one.

But if you do want one, It has been proven that reviews and favorites make me write faster and upload sooner !

Also I would like to thank everyone who has read this far and hasn't given up on me lol. If you have any suggestions or you want a certain scene to happen, just tell me!

Nezumi: stop rambling and end it already!

Shion: let her talk, Nezumi! She's about to do the disclaimer!

I don't own No.6


	11. No, Nezumi Epilogue (short)

Epilogue

Two years later

The lights in the theatre dimmed over a girl, the protagonist, as she bent over in a deep bow. She was a local star in No.6, everybody had heard of her. She called herself Eve, but outside of the theatre she was known as Nezumi the Terrible.

Well, only Shion added the 'Terrible' part.

"Nezumi! It's Halloween! You have to five the kids the candy! So what if they don't deserve it!" Shion was wrestling the bowl out of Eve's hands, getting ready for the trick or treaters who were coming by after the show.

"Nezumi, let go!" He smirked.

"Ok." As soon as he let go of the bowl, Shion went flying, stumbling backwards in the small makeup room. He tripped over an ottoman and landed on the couch, with the bowl upside down on his head. Of course, Nezumi thought it was hilarious.

Shion glared at him from across the room, not finding anything about the predicament funny. Picking up the candy off the floor, he put other back into the bowl and sat the bowl on the dresser.

"If you're going to be immature, Nezumi, then I won't stay to see it." He put on his blue cardigan and slipped an old gray Beanie onto his head. As he opened the door and stepped out, a firm hand grasped his wrist.

"Don't be such a wet towel, your majesty! Sheesh, after taking that leader council job, you've become more of a hard hat than ever."

"Well I'm sorry Nezumi, that I have a city to help run and that I don't have time for play! I'm stressed out, and I have very right to be! Some of us have actual jobs Nezumi, don't forget it."

"As if I could, your majesty! Your stupid council member job is all you worry about. This is the first of my shows you've been to in months, only because the city expects ypu to be here!" Nezumi leaned back dramatically.

"Oh, how deserted I feel! What's a woman to do when her lover no longer loves her? Does she weep? Does she leave him, and complain the entire time? Oh no, she puts herself wholeheartedly into her work! Well that's what I shall do! Since I'm being ignored by your majesty, I'll just have to try my best to get his attention!" Nezumi landed on the couch, fan in hand, and smiled up at Shion through his lashes.

"If you wanted more attention you should have just said so," Shion deadpanned. Nezumi's shoulders shook as he laughed aloud.

"Since when did you get so serious? I thought I was supposed to be the serious one!" He glided to where Shion was and shut the door behind him. He leaned towards Shion's face.

"Seriously Shion, relax." His lips grazed over Shions.

"I miss the old airhead that I love and know."

"D-d-did you just finally admit to loving me?"

**Sorry guys, I just don't believe in long epilogues!**


	12. Merry Christmas Nes! pt1

It was going to be hard this Christmas, Nezumi could already tell. Shion couldn't remember very much after the accident, and one of those things he couldn't remember was Christmas. Nezumi remember walking through the market with Shion, the younger male pulling on his hand.

"What's that? What's that? Nes!"

It secretly broke his heart to see it-the boy was normally so smart about Christmas, the boy who lived and breathed Christmas-and now he had no idea what it was.

And it was all Nezumi's fault.

After the collapse of the wall he... left. He never turned back, until it was too late. He was gone for only two days, but that was more than enough time for Shion to find trouble somewhere. He came back to an empty bedroom and a note:

'Nezumi, I doubt you'll be back before me, but if for some odd reason you turn around because you forgot your ego or something, here's a note saying that I'll be over at Inukashi's. Don't wait up for me.'

Nezumi remembered laughing at the wistfulness of Shion. Shion was always optimistic, hoping for the best, and seeing the good in everyone.

The note was covered in a thin layer of dust, so Nezumi assumed that he wrote the note the day before,which would mean...

Shion hadn't been home yet. Why not though? Shion was in trouble. That had to be the answer. That was enough to motivate Nezumi. He set out to find his clumsy friend.

He found Shion not too much longer though, but it wasn't the Shion he knew. He was stuck under an old marble column, knocked unconscious by a hard blow to the head. A puddle of dried blood laid beneath his broken body. His hair was tinged red, and a small line of blood went from behind his ear and trailed down to his neck.

Nezumi felt the adrenaline rush through him as he pushed the heavy column off of Shion's back. Not knowing what else to do, he picked him up and carried him bridal style to a hospital in No.6.

It was an excruciating one and a half miles, Nezumi's tears slowly and silently washing down Shion's face as he whispered motivational pleas, more to himself than the unconscious body in his arms.

He made it to the hospital thirty minutes was dismayed when he heard them say that they could only do so much, none of which included bringing his friend's mind back from wherever it had been stored. And so here was Shion now, clutching Nezumi's hand with a strength quite admirable, especially for someone as small as him.

"Nes! Nes!" His injury had caused a great deal of damage to his brain, and the first syllable of his name was all the younger male could get out. Nezumi looked towards the direction Shion was pointing to.

As they passed stalls, Nezumi was explaining to him how Christmas worked. He told Shion of the elves and the huge sleigh that carried Santa across the world and gave toys to good boys and girls.

"I'm good! I'm good! Shion good!" He would jump up and down, clapping his hands as he drew attention from the people around him. A lot of the adults would point and stare at them, questioning why Shion was acting that way. Many of the younger kids came over to him and played with him for a bit. But once a kid made Shion cry, Nezumi put an end to the mini playdates quickly.

Shion was pointing towards a giant Teddy bear sitting in one of the stalls. It was almost as big as Shion himself, with fur the color of a starless night, with eyes almost the exact same opaque white as Shion's hair. Nezumi's heart clutched painfully as he silently counted up the amount of money he had spent to see if he would have enough for the overpriced bear, knowing before hand that he would be short.

"Let's go Shion." He pulled the man from away from the stand, trying hard to ignore the fact that Shion was crying.

Ever since the accident, Nezumi had to take care of Shion, mainly because he didn't trust any body else to do it. A few days out of the week though,he would take him to Inukashi's place to let him play with the dogs while Nezumi went to the theatre to work. He worked just enough to support them with a little extra on the side, but he had already spent the extra he had on the few measly gifts he got Shion for Christmas. He didn't have enough for the big bear, and that thought alone made him want to cry in frustration.

Shion didn't fall sleep straight away that night, which meant that neither did Nezumi. Shion laid on the bed and tried to read books to the rats, but he was mispronouncing all the words and jumbling up sentences. Upset, he threw the book across the room with a frustrated yell. Nezumi rushed to his side and patted his back, trying to calm him down.

"Shion! What's the matter? Are you in pain?" Shion nodded his head and looked up with tears in his eyes. He pointed at his mop of hair and uttered, "Why?"

Nezumi didn't know how to answer. He could tell him the truth about how he left him and came back to find him almost dead. He could tell him that the doctors diagnosed him with some weird brain injury that gave him the mental capacities of a five years old. He could tell him that only 1% of his brain worked, compared to the 3% in mist humans. He could tell him that he was dumb, lame, and just...incapable. He didn't though.

He wrapped his arms around Shion, cheek on the crown of his head as tears started to stream down his face and into his hair. They both sniffles together as Nezumi started to talk.

"I don't know Shion. I am pretty sure it was my fault, and for that I'm sorry. Trust me, I would give my life to have the old air-headed Shion back. But he's gone, and I've learned to accept that. I love you Shion, no matter what, and that's all that's important right now." Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, he gently laid Shion down and tucked him in with a sheet. As Shion snuggled down into the sheets, Nezumi bent down and kissed him on his forhead. Shion giggled and pulled Nezumi's ear to his mouth.

"Love you Nezumi!"

Three days until Christmas, and Nezumi was starting to regret telling Shion about Santa and Christmas trees. When Nezumi came home at night ( Nezumi had been working overtime-trying so hard to get that damn bear) all he heard from Shion was Santa this and cookie that. It was quite frustrating-so much so in fact that he decided to drop Shion off with Inukashi in the morning.

He felt bad about leaving him in a dog keeper's care, but he definitely wasn't leaving him the hands of a drunk! And his mother was definitely not an options, as she didn't even know that her son was no longer the same.

Working the theatre wasn't as much fun as it used to be, not when he knew he would have to let the patrons 'go the extra mile' with him so he could get that bear that seemed room haunt his thoughts. As he got ready for tonight's play, Hamlet, he started reminiscing on how it was like before Shion's injury.

He was getting ready for Christmas, before it even started. Shion decided to decorate their room right after Thanksgiving dinner. Nezumi remembered how long he took to make a popcorn garland that went around the entire room, and the sadness in his face tje next day when he saw the rats had eaten it. But there was still the silly mistletoe that he put in the doorway. Looking back on it, Nezumi really regretted getting upset over it and taking it down. Actually, he was regretting everything he ever did to hurt Shion. Losing him had made him realize just how fragile life was...

"Snap out of it! Go get on stage and Stop being such a baby!"

He was fantastic on stage, as usual, and was not surprised that the audience, the male audience, wanted another performance. Eve was happy to perform that night...to anyone who paid, that is. The crowd hooted and hollered as Eve walked through the aisles with a hat in her hands, taking various amounts of money from the drunkards who had gathered to see her. Eve would never admit it, but she was nervous, for she had never done a show like she was about to do. Sure she had sang in public many times before, but never to a crowd this big. She was nervous.

She crawled back on stage and sat on a stool her manager had left for her. Picking up an old guitar that laid next to her feet, she started strumming a sad tune, and followed it up with some sad lyrics.

The audience remained quiet through the surprise performance, a few of them simply nodding their heads to certain phrases that they could relate to. It took them awhile to register when the show was over, but once they did, Eve received a standing ovation, and a few men threw even more coins at the stage.

'Yes', Nezumi thought. 'This will be a good Christmas for shion'.

*/*/*

I know! It's been awhile since I last posted but Im back now with a Christmas story! Yay! It won't be any more than three parts, so I might space it out a little bit. I'm really excited for this story, but if there is anything wrong don't hesitate to tell me! Im open to criticism!

Please leave a review! It helps me write faster~~

Nezumi: I'm so glad this idiot doesn't own No.6.

Me: Hey!


	13. Merry Christmas Nes! pt2

Just to clear some things up, Shion has lost his memory and a percentage of his brain function. Idk how I feel about this part... On with the story!

Nezumi got home late that night. He picked up Shion from Inukashi's place, and brought him home. Shion was barely walking as they made their way back to their little room. He was distracted by the smallest things, continually stopping to pick up a smooth rock or some kind of shiny trash that just so happened to attract his attention.

"No! Shion, don't put that in your mouth!" Nezumi swatted the trash out of his hands. Shion looked up at him as tears started to well up in his eyes.

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry..." He repeated, touching Nezumi's cheeks with his pale fingers.

"Sorry Nes." He held his head low and descended the steps to the room. Nezumi lingered outside for a bit, looking up at the stars.

'Not too long ago, Shion was out here telling me the story of each constellation. Who would've thought that one day I would miss his random ramblings?'

When he got back to the room, Shion was already on the bed, fast asleep, his light snores reaching Nezumi's ears before he walked across the threshold. Peeling off his jacket and scarf, and putting on an old set of flannels, Nezumi crawled in next to him. Shion turned to face him in the bed, and nuzzled into his neck. Nezumi could feel the faint breaths on his neck, and he fell asleep thinking of all the ways he could possibly get his friend back.

Two days before Christmas, and Shion was throwing a fit.

"No! I don't want to! No dogs! No dogs!" Shion was huddled into the bathtub with his arms crossed over his chest. The shower was still going above him in, pouring liters of warm water over his head. Nezumi stood outside the tub, soaking wet, trying to lure Shion out.

"It's only for one more day, Shion! Don't be a brat. Please- just get out of the tub!" He turned off the water and tried to pick Shion up, which only caused another storm.

"No!" Shion stood up in the tub arms still crossed. Nezumi reached for his hand.

As Shion tried to swat him away, he fell. Nezumi watched in slow motion as Shion toppled forward, his hands out to his side as a look of terror passed across his features.

"Shion no!"

But it was too late.

The sound of his head meeting the ceramic edge was sickening and enough to make Nezumi puke. Somehow there were no scratches on the outside of his head, but he knew that the male had to have worsened whatever damage he had previously. NEzumi climbed in the tub behind him and cradled his wet head to his chest.

"Please be okay... please be okay..." It was like a mantra that he couldn't stop repeating. They sat like that for ten minutes, Nezumi not seeing any rise or fall in Shion's chest.

"Please...be okay..."

Nezumi's mind started to replay everything that had happened at the correctional facility not too long ago. He couldn't lose Shion now,not after everything that had happened to them. It wasn't his time, and Nezumi had no idea what he would do if he lost his, he hated to admit it, best friend. No, Nezumi thought, what they had was stronger than friendship. It was a literal red line connecting the two together. They were soulmates. Losing Shion would be like losing half of his body. How would he function?

"Please. Shion..."

The body in his arms started to move. The wetness of his body pressed into Nezumi's clothes, chilling from the outside in. He stroked the boys head and pushed his uncut hair away from his face. He saw the chest underneath him move, shallowly at first, and then deeper as he started to regain consciousness.

"Nez? Nezumi? Why am I wet? why are we in the bathtub?" Why are you looking at me like that?" Nezumi's mouth hung open, his head tilted to the side as he stared at the supposed-to-be-dead man. Shion giggled and poked his cheek.

"As much as I enjoy being naked with you fully clothed, I do not enjoy being cold and wet, and I doubt you do either. So, can we get up now?" Shion climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stepped out of the bathroom. Nezumi jumped up and almost tripped when he heard a shout from the living area.

"Nezumi! What day is it? Why is our tree up? When did we get a tree? Are those presents for me? But I didn't get you anything! Nezumi, what's going on?"

"Well if you would stop asking so many damn questions, I could answer all of those for you. But I suggest you put on some clothes and sit down first. It's a good one."

Shion nodded and pulled on some of Nezumi's clothes. Nezumi watched in amusement as he took Shion's discarded towel and dried himself off. He sat on the couch besides Shion and starred off into the distance.

"You succeeded in making the wall fall. Good for you. And after that I... I left. I told you that I needed some time to think, some time to be alone. That's what I told you. And you believed me, you airhead! And instead of calling me back you let me go, why didn't you make me come back?! It would have saved us so much trouble... It would have saved you..." Burgundy eyes turned to meet a storm brewing in a pair of grey ones.

"Nezumi, I'm sorry, I really am. But would you have came back if I asked you to?"

'Yes!' Nezumi thought. 'Yes, I would have. Airhead I...'

"You could have at least tried! You airhead! For once, stop thinking about other people and think about yourself!" Nezumi was angry now, his face void of all color, his cheat heaving with every angry breath. Shion touched the side of his face, ran his fingers down to Nezumi's neck. Nezumi closed his eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Finish the story Nezumi." It was a breathless whisper. Nezumi gulped.

"I came back... I came back two days later. You left a note that said you had left to the mutt's hotel. I don't know why though, it was in ruins... Anyway, I could tell that you had been gone for a while, the note was dirty. So, I went out to find you.

I stopped by the hotel first, and when I saw that it was in ruins, I knew something was wrong. So I searched the area around the hotel. There were a few dogs left who helped me search for you. We found you not too long after I got to the hotel, buried underneath an old column. It must have collapsed when you leaned on it or something.

So, you were stuck underneath it, unconscious, with a pool of blood underneath you. It was all poetic really.

I couldn't get you to wake up. Something gave me the ability to push that heavy column off of you-"

"It was epinephrine! A hormone released from the adrenal glands. Paired together with noradrenaline, is to prepare the body for fight or flight, and often times gives the body a burst of energy that-" Shion interrupted, but stopped when he heard Nezumi give out a full bodied laugh. It echoed around the room, bouncing off of walls and scaring the mouse underneath the bed. Shion looked at him confused, but couldn't help smiling as he heard him laugh louder than he had ever before.

"Why are you laughing at me? Did I say something funny?" Nezumi shook his heand any wiped his eyes off on his damp sleeve.

"I just really missed your smart mouth, Shion. Don't look at me like that, I'll explain, keep listening.

So, after saving your life, your welcome by the way, I needed to find you some professional help. I knew that there were no actually doctors in West Block, so I carried you to No.6 and found you a doctor there. I don't know how you did that but put that eyebrow down, it makes you look stupid.

Anyway, I found one. It took awhile though, the hospitals were packed with people. but once they saw us covered in blood, they admitted you." Nezumi stopped and closed his eyes. His breath was getting ragged, and he pulled his hand down his face.

"I waited for six hours. Six frigging hours of not knowing whether or not you were dead or alive. Six hours until the doctors came out with a prognosis. Amnesia. Blood loss, lots of internal bleeding. You were in a coma, so they weren't quite sure how your brain would work when you woke up, but they predicted that you would lose a majority of your brain functions, and you would wake up with the brain of a four or five year old." He took a deep breath and drank from a cup of lukewarm water that remained from breakfast.

"And that's how you woke up. You had no smart facts or any idea who I was or who you were or what We were doing together. It took me a week to gain your trust, and it was one hell of a week. I'll never forget how you thought it was hilarious to spill water on me when I was sleeping. What a mischievous child you were!

There's not much left to the story. You haven't matured much mentally since then. You were throwing a fit in the tub this morning when you decided you didn't want to go to Inukashi's. Then you fell and... somehow your mind came back. And here We are now."

"And here We are know." Shion repeated, softly, pushing hair off his face. He looked haunted, and Nezumi didn't know why. Shion looked down at his lap.

"That must have been hard for you Nezumi. I'm sorry."

"Of course. The first thing you say after sustaining injuries is I'm sorry. You need to Stop apologizing airhead. Now up! You owe me a few chores, so why don't you do the laundry and cook us dinner hmm? Or did that blow other your head make you forget how?"

Shion's face turned red, and he pushed Nezumi's shoulders.

"Don't make me do all of the work Nezumi. If We both do something then we can finish faster and if we finish faster we can do something togeth-"

He was cut off by a pair of chapped lips, forcibly pushed onto his. Shocked at first, Shion put his hand around Nezumi's neck, locking him in place as he started to move his lips against him. Shion's other hand traveled down to Nezumi's hips as Shion got up and straddled him. Nezumi moaned as Shion started to move against him.

"Woah there Shion, take it easy. I don't know if you're ready for what comes next."

Shion glanced up from his place on Nezumi's chest, looking up through his eyelashes. Nezumi's cheeks warmed up just a little.

Perfectly innocent, Shion told Nezumi, "yes, I am." Nezumi growled as Shion resumed his torture on Nezumi's nipples, alternating between flicking and pinching them as he sucked the other. Nezumi's hand went around his head, pulling the boy impossibly closer.

"Shion... I missed you."


	14. Merry Christmas Nes! pt3

If you listen to Sideways by Citizen Cope the feels go through the saying.

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Christmas Eve and Shion is back. Almost.

"Your Highness?" Nezumi questioned from the living room.

"Hmmm?" Shion was worlds away, trying to put together, mentally, the present he had prepared for Nezumi.

"You forgot to turn off the soup." Upon hearing this, Shion snapped out of his daze and ran to check on the soup. Stirring it, he turns off the old stove and got bowls out of the cabinet. Three little mice skittered to the counter and stood on their back paws.

Without even thinking about it, Shion threw them some bread and cheese and turned back to pouring the soup.

Nezumi watched as he turned around to put them on the table. Ever since Shion's 'regeneration', the white haired male had been... different. His normal awkward clumsiness was gone and instead replaced by an annoying, mechanical like movement. Everything he did mirrored on robotic,and when they got in bed at night, he was always tensed up, as if gearing for a fight. Nezumi had taken to massaging his back before bed, but that only did so much to loosen him up.

Shion looked up and nodded to Nezumi, a huge smile on his face.

"I have a surprise for you too, Nezumi!" Reaching into the back of their rusty refrigerator, he pulled out a plate covered in chocolate.

"Shion? Hiw did you get that? Where?"

Sweets like chocolate cake were rare in West Block, and Nezumi was starting to question it's origins. It looked nice enough, what Nezumi thought was fondant was laid over the cake and patted down, making it visually appealing. In Shion's messy handwriting the words 'Merry Christmas' was spelt out and written with both smiley faces and exclamation points. Shion's face looked like it was about to split as he ignored Nezumi's question.

"It was supposed to be for tomorrow, but I think we should get started on it tonight. What do you think, Nezumi?"

"Well first of all, I'm not to keen on eating a mysterious chocolate cake, especially if it has unknown origins. Shion... are you trying to poison me?" Nezumi fell back onto their bed dramatically, hand placed over his heart and the other on his forehead.

"After...everything! Everything that I've done for you, and this is how you treat me? Poison! As if no better way to kill me? Well, fine! I'll eat your poisonous cake, but let it be known that-"

He was cut off with a kiss. As he ran his hands through his assailant's hair, a giggle reaches his ears.

"Just trust me Nezumi. You do trust me, don't you?"

Shion was doing the puppy dog face, his big, round eyes were at their widest, his chapped lips were deliciously pouted, and Nezumi couldn't help but to take them back into his.

"Of course." He whispered into Shion's hair. Lips parting, Shion leaned forward and nipped at Nezumi's neck, his hands resting on Nezumi's waist.

This was another thing that had changed since the regeneration. Shion was a little more...hungry. Nezumi had woken up this morning to Shion's hand in his pants, whining 'again!' as he attached him with kisses. Honestly, Nezumi didn't mind, but he knew that if he kept letting Shion get the best of him, he was gonna explode.

"Shion...the soup." He sounded as if he had just ran a marathon. With one final kiss on the nose, Shion left him and resumed getting dinner ready.

Just a few minutes later, Shion had the cake cut, a slice for each one of them, and poured two bowls of soup. Calling Nezumi to their cramped table, they both started to eat.

About halfway through Shion's bowl, Nezumi was already finished eating. He stood to rinse his dishes in the sink when he heard a little 'oops' coming from Shion's direction.

Shion had managed to drop the bowl in his lap, his hand left in the air with the spoon still locked in his grip. His eyebrows furrowed together as he slowly lifted the bowl from his lap. He grimaced as more soup slashed out from the sides and landed on his pants.

Nezumi watched as Shion, whose face was starting to contort in pain, slowly put his spoon down on the table. He kicked back his chair and started to rise. It was at this point that Nezumi intervened. He brought over a cold wet towel and started to dab at Shion's pants while he stood and held on to Nezumi.

His footing was a little unstable so he just leaned into Nezumi.

"Do I need to feed your Highness? What's wrong with your arms?" Shion shrugged his shoulders and sagged on Nezumi. Nezumi lead them both to the bed and sat them down. Shion had a slight fever at this point, and as painlessly as he could, snuggled underneath the sheets.

"What's going on Nezumi?" He shook his head.

"I don't know Shion. I was hoping you could tell me."

xxxxxxxxxx

Christmas day and Shion thought he was going to explode.

"You got me a bear?! A huge teddy bear? Thank you so much Nezumi! I love it. I'll name her... Ayako I think."

"Calm down Shion, it's just a toy. Get over yourself. Plus, aren't you a little too old to be playing with stuffed animals? Let's just hope none of your friends see. Now, I hope you got me something..."

Shion nodded his head and pulled out a few boxes from underneath the bed. Each one was wrapped in old newspaper, the date on it about three months old. Shion had had these for awhile.

"I guess you Higness couldn't be bothered to use actual wrapping paper, or to wrap them neatly." Shion's fce turned red at the accusation.

Secretly, Nezumi was having the time of his life. Shion's reaction to the bear was more than he could have hoped for, and he was also tickled pink by the idea that Shion had gotten him something in return. Nezumi wrecked his brain trying to remember when he saw Shion bringing in presents. And where did Shion get the money from? He new Inukashi wasn't paying that well.

"I hope you like them! I was going more for practicality, trying to find you something that you would actually use. Here open this one up first."

Shion gave Nezumi his first present and sat down at his feet, Ayako at hand.

It took Nezumi a little over an hour to open up all of the presents. Not because he had a lot, but because he stopped after each one and kept getting lost in the pretty covers, the smell of all his favorite books, brand new and ready to be broken in. Every other book, he would act out his favorite scene from a play, turning Shion into a giggling mess every time. Shion was clapping like crazy, shouting 'encore, encore!' after every performance. He even had a little bit of saliva forming a little pool at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh Nezumi,you're so great!" Nezumi bowed to his audience. Turning his head to the side, he struck a pose.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Shion made a strangled noise on the back of his throat.

"Speechless, Shion? As you should be." Nezumi turned around and choked.

Shion was lying on his back, his legs and arms spasming out to the sides of him. He was making gurgling noises as his mouth filled up with spit, like he was drowning himself. His head was thrashing back and forth on the floor, and a small line of blood leaked from his scalp from where his head had hit something under the process.

Nezumi had no idea what to do. He stood there and shook, his mind trying to figure out how to help Shion.

'A seizure, that's what this is. The doctor warned me about these. Now what did he tell me to do in case one happened? Oh Yeah.'

Nezumi calmed himself down and knelt on the floor next to Shion's moving body. He turned him on his side so he wouldn't drown himself in spit and vomit.

'Was there anything else? I can't remember. I can't remember..I can't remember! How am I gonna save Shion!'

Nezumi backed up until his knees fell out from under him. He landed on his butt, curling his knees up in front of him. He watched as Shion's spasms got smaller and smaller until they ceased. He crawled over to where Shion laid and felt for a pulse. It was there, but his chest was not moving as much as it should. The pulse started to weaken under his fingertips, and Nezumi saw his eyes roll into his head.

He was braced for the best. He had prepared himself mentally for this day: the day Shion would sleep. That's what he coined it. Death was to harsh for Shion, and he deserved a nicer word. Nezumi cradled his head in his lap and let the tears fall. He was sure that it wasn't going to happen so soon, so what happened?

Nezumi was cursed. That was the only reason he could find for Shion's death. Some great god or something was out to get jim and make him pay for those that he had murdered shamelessly.

"Well! You've got what you wanted! Everything is gone now so please, leave me alone!" Nezumi shouted towards the ceiling. In the background he heard faint thunder, and decided that that was the best reply he'd get.

He fell asleep like that, hunched over Shion's body with rain pouring down outside. He dreamed, Oh did he dream, of Shion and flowers and mice and grand theaters. He dreamed of life.

xxxxxxxxx

I actually cut this chapter in half lol. Is this too much? I feel like it's very reminiscent of the last chapter, but this one is very important for establishing the rest...

Do you love it, or hate it?

Also, there will be two endings to this. The next update will be the original one.


	15. Merry Christmas Nes! Final part

Two months. It had been two months since Shion's actual death. How was Nezumi taking it? He wasn't.

He still laid out two bowls of broth every night; he still slept on his side of the bed, making sure to never touch Shion's side. He still bought food for two and would even help Inukashi with the dogs every once in a while.

Rikiga tried to help him. He offered Nezumi alcohol, women, anything that could possibly get him out of his low spirits, but nothing worked. Into a month of grieving he stopped acting. He had no passion whatsoever, and instead relied on Shion's savings to get him through. He couldn't even afford the funeral, and that thought made him sink even lower.

Shion was cremated in No.6. Karan said that he knew he would have wanted it that way, and Nezumi couldn't help but to agree. They scattered his ashes along a great oak tree outside of the city limits, and Nezumi often found himself sitting under said tree at night, hid head buried in his hands.

"Shion..."

That night, underneath the tree, Nezumi dreamed for the first time.

Shion was wearing khakis and a light blue cardigan, his hair even whiter, and his smile even brighter. They were on a boat together in what seemed to be the middle of the ocean, blue water everywhere, only broken by the line of the even blue-er horizon of the sky.

Shion cocked his head to the side, his hair falling into his eyes. Nezumi looked down to see his hand outstretched towards him. Taking his hand in his own, Nezumi stared into Shion's eyes.

His hand was cold, ice cold and leathery. It was lifeless, the opposite of what was being reflected from Shion's eyes. He had never seen the boys eyes sparkle with as much mirth as they were currently. It was contagious, and Nezumi couldn't help but to smile with him.

He never noticed the big waving coming up from behind him. It engulfed them both in deep blue water and deep green algae. Nezumi squeezed Shion's hand and was rewarded with a small squeeze back. He was running out of breath, but he could not tell which way was up and which way was down. He could faintly see the glow coming off of Shion in front of his face.

Dream Shion pulled his arm, causing Nezumi to look at him underwater. Dream Shion was fading, slowly flickering in and out as they got further and further down into the ocean. Nezumi was suffocating now, and as he lost consciousness, he felt Shion's hand slip out of his.

To say he woke up other of his dream would be a miracle, but sometimes grief doesn't quite work out that one. Karen found Nezumi's body a few days later, his hair gray as if he was an old man. In his arms he was crushing Shion's old coat, and the bear he gave him for Christmas.

Karan's tears were non-existant. She knew that wherever they were, Shion and Nezumi were together, and that gave her comfort. She had Nezumi cremated as well and laid next to Shion.

Karan went to the little room they shared for the very first time. There was a thine line of dust over everything, and her tears flowed over her smile. The room still smelt like them, and in the corner she felt a warm presence. Sitting on their old bed, she picked up a book that was open on Shion's pillow.

"Romeo and Juliet," she read aloud. There was a specific passage marked.

"Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath,

Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty;

Thou art not conquer'd; beauty's ensign yet

Is crimson in thy lips, and in thy cheeks,

And death's pale flag is not advanced there."

Taking the book under her arms, she blew out the lantern at her feet, and slowly rocked herself to sleep.

The next day the room would be empty, and the bakery would be full and Shion and Nezumi would still be gone.

I have rewritten this so many times that I just give up ughhh.

So Yeah, this is the end! I promise you the next fics will be so happy and fluffy and wonderful. I just had to get out the angst.

Umm, thanks for sticking around this long lol, and Im sorry I didn't upload sooner. Please forgive me.

Reviews are awesome!

Karan: oh! I almost forgot. Taylor does not own No.6! Thank goodness for that!


	16. Do I Still Love? pt1

I've been gone for awhile... but hopefully I'm back! Umm nothing in this story belongs to me. The poems fragment is from "Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden.

*****;

It's been too long...

And he knew it. He was beginning to forget his face, beginning to forget his voice, beginning to forget his smell...

How long had it been now? Three years, four? Either way, it was that many years too long. Where was he? Why was he still gone? Why hadn't he come home yet?

There were no more tears, not after the first year of Nezumi's absence. Shion had gotten used to the quiet of the small room that they used to share. But after a while, Shion had to leave; some of the memories were too much, and Shion thought he would explode with longing.

He moved to this quiet cottage right on the edge of the newly rebuilt No.6. He can see the main transport office, everyone who leaves or enters No.6. Shion has convinced himself that that's not why he chose the place.

Shion sighed and dog eared the book he was reading. An old poetry book he found at the library. He whispered to himself.

"What did I know, what did I know/of love's austere and lonely offices?"

Creaking out if his position on the floor, Shion slipped off his shirt and climbed beneath the warm duvet of his one-person sized bed. Cuddling his body pillow to his chest, he fell asleep that way, legs splayed beneath the duvet. He remember vaguely of someone who slept way worse than him...

"Hey! You're on my side of the bed again! Gosh, can't you keeps your hands to yourself for just one night?" Shion could here more than see Nezumi's smirk in the darkness.

"I'm sorry your Highness, it's just that you looked a little...cold." Nezumi put his feet on Shion's legs.

"Wahhh! "

"Just trying to warm you up... your Highness."

Shion was glad it was dark in the little room. When Nezumi's voice went low like that...when it went all velvety smooth and seductive, well, Shion was not immune to his charm. His face burned. He rolled over and turned his back to the grinning rat in the bed. He could bear the smirk again.

Nezumi grabbed his arm, not too hard, but with enough pressure that Shion turned around to face him. Nezumi touched his face with the back if his hand, his other hand finding it's way to the hem of Shion's sweats. Shion knew what was coming. Nezumi leaned in, his pink lips pursed like he was trying to tell a secret.

"Shion. I can't stay here anymore."

Shion bolted up and felt something hard and soft underneath his body. He looked up at Nezumi.

"What?"

The seen around them changed. Shion was still lying on his side, his body propped up by his arms. He was still in his sweats, shirtless and without shoes, but they were no longer in the little room. They were outside, rocks ranging from small to boulder sized were strewn about, almost like somebody had specifically decided were to put them. It was beautiful in an ominous kind of way. Nezumi stood in front of him, his darl blue ponytail facing him. In front of him were clouds upon clouds of smoke, and the sounds of depressed yells and useless calling echoed around Shion's brain. They were facing what appeared to once have been a wall, but was now just random piles of brick.

"Nezumi? What do you mean? Why-is it me? Is it me?"

Nezumi turned to face him. Shion gasped. This wasn't the Nezumi he remembered. The Nezumi he knew didn't have such animosity and...hatred when he turned to face Shion.

"Of course it's you, it's always been you! Dammit it's like when I took you in I took in a helpless little baby! Wait, No, a baby would be less annoying than you! Hah! I tried so hard to give you the benefit of the doubt. I thought I saw you changing slowly, but no! Once an airhead, always an airhead!"

He turned back around.

"I hope No.6 destroys itself. It's been my dream for a long time now. And Thanks to you, it's coming true! Oh great God! Yes! Tear down this damned wall and destroy the inside of it's confinement! Take it al down!" He screamed the last part, shopping his feet with every syllable. This was definitely not Nezumi.

"TEAR IT DOWN!"

He turned to face Shion again. He reached into his pocket and all Shion saw was a flash of silver before it was at his neck.

"And you. What are you? I've never met anything like you. That pale skin, that red scare, those red eyes...you're not human. You're not natural. You're dead." He stepped back and kicked.

The tears streamed freely from Shion's eyes as he reached forward and touched Nezumi's hand before he fell. There was a faint glint in his eyes,but Shipment couldn't identify the emotion behind it in enough time. He started to fall backwards, screaming out his name.

"Nezumi!"


End file.
